The Hangar Theatre of Ithaca opened a rousing version of "Around the World in 80 Days" by Mark Brown on Friday evening with the playwright, himself, in attendance. My guess is that this unusual appearance has to ratchet up goings-on a bit, and whether it did or not, the result was a theatrical experience of stylized movement, versatile acting, and non-stop action.

Directed by Hangar's Associate Artistic Director, Jesse Bush, and played upon a versatile, single set by Thomas Burch, "...80 Days" is an unusual stage property that can defy definition.

Seemingly part travelogue, part vaudeville-style variety show, and part adventure story, the play hurdles forward at a breakneck speed that parallels the frenetic journey at the heart of the piece.

Its premise, a wager made by Phileas Fogg (Mark Shanahan) with associates at an upper-crust London club, that one could circle the globe in a mere eighty days, is the catalyst for myriad adventures enacted by only five actors creating scads of interesting characters that are encountered on the voyage. Kudos to the show's costume designer, Mira Veilkley, for creating costumes that are not only character transforming, but are also up to the quick-change artistry demanded by the pace of the show.

Adapted from the 19th-century novel by Jules Verne, the show's can-do spirit seems to mirror that same attitude, bathed in British power and colonial exceptionalism, that would have been prevalent for the era, and likewise, Bush's direction extrudes much of this attitude by employing exaggerated, over-stylized movement by the characters so we never forget their places in the social strata.

From Fogg's steady, unwavering determinism to the clever, frenetic behavior of his manservant, Passepartout (Claro Austria), and the bumbling comedic movement by Michael Di Liberto's Detective Fix, movement is the key ingredient, almost to the point of being as central to the play as choreography is to dance.

Austria's work as Passepartout, often considered to be the "plum" role of the piece, could be a study in facial expression, physical gesture, and all-out stage athleticism. He's that good.

Di Liberto's Fix, to me, almost a combination of Tony Shaloub's Monk and a strong dose of a host of Tim Conway's bumblers, keeps the hum of laughter from the audience coming at a steady pace throughout.

Of course, adventure stories need some feminine, romantic allure, as well, which comes through the character of Aouda (Ajna Jaisinghani). Besides providing the love interest for the stalwart, unruffled Fogg, Jaisinghani does excellent work portraying several other characters, all of them male.

Lastly, Kevin Melendez' work is phenomenal in quick-change artistry, combined with being able to inject clear believability into some fifteen different characters that are encountered on the journey, many of which span archetypes from sea lore to American westerns.

Steady as can be, Shanahan's Fogg, however, keeps a cool head with stiff-upper-lip Britishness, and, almost like the director's surrogate, keeps the comedy cool enough and the pace and purpose digestible while we watch the progress of the journey, handily mapped out with yarn and pushpins on the back wall of the stage.

Details: Length of Performance: Two hours, ten minutes including a 15-minute intermission.
Attendance: Nearly-full house on opening night.
Family Guide: Suitable for all with a yen for adventure and physical shenanigans.

Hangar Theatre presents "Around the World in 80 Days" from June 26 through July 5, 2014 at the theater in Cass Park, Rt. 89, Ithaca. For tickets and information: 607-273-2787 and www.HangarTheatre.org